Tuesday, October 28, 2014

As part of CCD's special Halloween treats, I'll be showing you how to create your very own ancestor altar. We'll be discussing what an altar is, what you'll need to make one and take you on a little tour of my own offerings. I hope you enjoy it!

"Our relationships with our loved ones don't end in death. They just change. They just look different."

How are you celebrating this year? Will you be creating an altar? Do you have other traditions to honor your loved ones? Or questions about building your own altar?

Saturday, October 25, 2014

I must admit (as if you didn't already know) I indulge in an awful lot of self help content. Especially when I find a good source. I'll rub that shit on my gums.

However, I must admit that while all of the Just Think Positively, Simply Love Thyself to Pieces, Keep Your Vibration on Hyper Drive and You Can Be A Gazllionaire if You Just Believe You Can talk sounds really nice it leaves me a bit unsettled.

Even pissy. For a myriad of reasons. * (*All Secret-like manifestos and champions assume that the most basic of your hierarchy of needs are being met. Not everyone is so lucky. And while I am the first to admit I know nothing about how the Universe works, I'm pretty sure victims of abuse or those who go hungry DON'T just happen to be a "vibrational match" for manifesting starvation and violence. You have time to worry about the state of your light body when you have a place to sleep. END RANT.)

TRUE there are oodles of obvious benefits to thinking positively: good health, goals, and happiness. Generally folks who have it together and get what they need aren't hung up on inconsequential details or sabotage their dreams by shit talking themselves.

There's also the Being Positive Simply To Be Positive Model-- As if smiling whilst curating our motivational Pintrest boards we will be spared when shit hits the fan and are disappointed only to say "It doesn't work!"

Which often leads us to choose from two false extremes: Thinking negatively makes you an undeserving whiner VS Thinking positively makes you a loveable idiot.

Am I a jaded cranky pants throwing positive thinking to the birds? Hell no. I LOVES me the hippy shit, bunnies. BRING ON THE PSYCHEDELIC DEBRIS! (Heck, a majority of the content stored on this blog is the Magic of the Mundane.)

I am a proud student at Chin Up University.

Here's the thing...

Let's say you accidentally slammed your hand in your car door and broke your fingers. Ouch. (Let's hope that never happens, puddings.) You have a few options:

1) Admit that you're going to need help on this one and go to the hospital to get it taken care of.

2) Pretend that it's fine, think positively about it, get a nasty infection and die of a broken finger.

3) Say you're going to die anyway, let your hand fall off and curl up to wait for the sweet release of death.

I'd wager most sane folks would pick option Number One. Right?

But we don't do that. Do we?

Thinking positively about something that is damaging to you is putting a parsley sprig on a platter of roadkill, the lipstick on the pig, the rug over the hole.

Does it make it easier to eat? Do you believe that? It's JUST as crazy as wallowing.

Why am I telling you this? Why are we talking about broken fingers and dead opossums? (Eww.)

What if instead of oversimplifying and blindly thinking positively, what if we thought about Possibility?

Outcomes. Lots and lots of outcomes. Good ones. Ones that we learn from. Ones that might hurt a bit now but serve us well in the long run. Thinking that maybe there are a thousand viable excellent options that we just hadn't even considered.(One of my favorite bloggers The Four Queen presents a compelling discussion on this subject.)

What if instead of trying to achieve an impossible blissed-out-brain-washed-robit state, we try Being open to the Sea of Possibilities?

Thinking Positively is not a sheild that protects us from ickyness, just as being a Negative Nancy doesn't make us a holy Cosmic Victim.

Thinking Positively (or Possibly) is much broader and more gentle than that. It is being excited about your your life because you accept the Possibility of Possibilities.

What do you think, Pumpkins? Is this bullshit? Are you a Black Knight? Are you a Possibility Kid? I want to hear all of your thoughts. Let's meow in the comments together.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

If you cross under the bridge and wander until the sidewalk ends, you'll find the secret city in the City.

While hiding here you'll hear the sounds of rippling water and leaves to the west and buzzing traffic to the east. The Stick Village is nestled between worlds.

I like to think about secret spaces. They can be anywhere. They are everywhere--

Caves below the pavement, pockets of wild, paths that are beaten by paws at night...

Places hiding within other places. Places that aren't really secret at all.

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you
because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely
places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”
―
Roald Dahl